Traditional activities mark Mleingyi festival celebration
Sumi cultural troupe participates in the Zeliang Naga Festival ‘Mleingyi’ at GHSS Ground, Jalukie on March 10. (DIPR Photo)
Peren, March 11 (MExN): The inaugural programme of Zeliang Naga Festival ‘Mleingyi’ was celebrated with Deputy Commissioner Peren, Sentiwapang Aier, NCS as the special guest at GHSS Ground, Jalukie on March 10.
According to a DIPR report, Mleingyi marks the event of “self purification and the advent of a new farming season seeking God's blessings for health and productive year.” The festival is a weeklong event involving various activities such as traditional fire-making (Mleiteu), merry-making and games and sports activities like hedau (kicking the planks), heram (high jump), tsugi (shot put), hesim (long leap), hego (long jump), hepo (wrestling) etc.
Traditional fire-making (Mleiteu) marks the commencement of the Mleingyi festival and is usually performed by the clan headman of each dormitory by using strands of bamboo and fine bamboo fibres and keeps the flame burning until the culmination of the festival.
Speaking on the inaugural programme, DC Peren, Sentiwapang Aier in his short speech asserted Jalukie is a cosmopolitan town where mixed groups of people from different tribes exist. He encouraged the public to set an exemplary life as well as live life in the right direction and to maintain peace and harmony and to love one another in order to flourish in life.
DC also said the festivals celebrated among the Naga tribes are mostly related to agricultural activities, be it pre-harvest or post-harvest festival. Likewise, Mleingyi festival also signifies sowing festival marking the beginning of new agricultural activities, DC Peren added.
Moreover, the DC mentioned that festivals are celebrated to honour the traditional and customary practices and further spoke on the need to strengthen, preserve as well as utilize the rich culture and tradition with values which has been passed down from our forefathers.
Other highlights of the festival included traditional fire-making, Mleingyi blessing, folk dance, traditional parade, leiso/liagum (folk song) and sporting events.
